Five Years On
by marvelwomen
Summary: What is Zoe's life like five years after leaving the ED? What happens when her old life threatens to intrude on her new one! Bad summary! Zax friendship but not romance! Rated T because in paranoid. Reviews are appreciated
1. Chapter 1

So **Zoe was one of my favourite characters in Casualty and I miss her so much. I decided to write a oneshot about what her life is like about five years after the Ed. And did anyone notice in Casualty that Zoe's hand kept resting on her stomach. That's where the inspiration for this story came from. I know this seems really unrealistic and if you are as big a Zax shipper as me then you may not like Zoe being with someone else but it had to happen at some point. Review please and I may do something like this again . Xxx**

Zoe placed a hand in her bulging stomach. It had been five years since she had left the ED of Holby. She had intended to settle on Michigan but that had never been the case. Within a few months if working there she had met the CEO a laid back main in his mid thirties.

Despite him being the CEO he was painfully shy and it had taken him six months to work up the courage to ask her on a date. Of course she hadn't started at Michigan straight away.

When Zoe had left for Michigan she had been almost full term of her first pregnancy. It was a baby convinced just before their wedding and Zoe had found out a few weeks after the disastrous wedding.

She had decided to keep it private not wanting anyone to know and since she and Max werent exactly on the best terms she had decided not to tell him.

In a way Zoe had been lucky. She hadn't put on much while pregnant and no one has noticed.

Just after arriving in Michigan she had given birth to a little girl called Belle. She was Zoe's miracle and she had settled into her new life leaving Belle to the hospital crèche every morning and going to work.

But of course things had changed. A few weeks after starting to date James- the CEO she had found she was pregnant.

James had been thrilled. He had always wanted children and this was brilliant for him. The only change came when she was twenty weeks pregnant. No one at the hospital had know about her second pregnancy up until now.

They had decided that they wanted to start their family far away from Michigan. They had settled in a remote part of Cornwall -in a small fishing village and Belle who was now fourteen months came with them.

Two months after arriving in Cornwall Zoe gave birth to her second child. It was a little girl this time named Audrey. Like Belle Audrey was the spitting image of Zoe.

James was deliriously happy with his little family. Belle was like his own daughter an he adored Audrey who despite being two months early was healthy.

He had taken up Gp practise but the best thing of all was that he had proposed to Zoe. It was after she had had Audrey and she was still in the hospital. He had been so thrilled and it appeared he had been planning the proposal for ages as he had a ring and everything. Zoe had said yes because this one felt so different from the last time. This time Zoe knew she was ready. So she had said yes.

Two months after having Audrey Zoe had been throwing up in the mornings. When she got checked out she was shocked to find she was pregnant yet again. She had went from being infertile to bring it seemed over fertile.

The doctors had seemed to be shocked at her getting my pregnant so soon again but reassured her that the baby would be heathy.

James was totally ecstatic when she explained her pregnancy to him. He would soon have three gorgeous girls even if one of them wasn't exactly his. When Zoe had yet another girl this time named Brooklyn they agreed to stop trying by for more baby's.

If they got pregnant again they would love it but with three girls beetween them they felt their family was complete.

As Zoe reflected on it it was amazing. She had been told years ago that she could never have children. Now she had more than she could never imagine. ( **In this story Zoe was 36 when she left the Ed instead of around 41/42 because of all the kids:)**

And yet again despite not trying for children Zoe found herself pregnant again only nine months later. At this point Bella was three years old and she already had two siblings and Zoe was pregnant with her third. Four amazing beautiful girls.

Zoe was happy to give birth to her fourth girl. It hadn't been an easy pregnancy and she was glad to get the healthy baby out. They had always liked unusual names so Zoe decided to call her fourth girl Seren which meant star in Welsh.

Now feeling that she was complete Zoe settled down happily into life with her four girls. Belle was now almost four.

Zoe had intended to go back to work after having Audrey. But then after she had found out she was pregnant with Brooklyn she had decided to be a stay at home mum.

Her and James had a brilliant five bedroom huge house overlooking the sea and James made good money as a GP.

They were planning their wedding for later on the year. Even though no one would be there for Zoe James was of Irish origin and had a huge family. It also helped tat he was the only one in his family with children under 18. They all doted on the girls.

Now Zoe was pregnant with their fifth and they hoped final child. She was about two or three weeks from giving birth.

If only she had known that fate would come calling. That very morning she had been thinking what Max would say if he found out about Belle. Dylan was the only one who knew about where she lived and not even he knew about the girls.

Belle was now in her first year at primary school and Audrey at nursery. Brooke was almost three and Seren fifteen months. Belle knew that she had a daddy Max who she had never met and who had given her to mummy and daddy.

As far as Belle was concerned however she had her daddy - James. It would be weird and unsettling for her meeting Max now.

This morning Zoe had decided to put Brooke and Seren into the double buggy and with Belle and Audrey walking go for a short walk down by the seafront.

There was a fair in the village this week but Zoe had decided not to go to it. She was almost full term which me at she couldnt go on any rides and the baby was pressing down on her bladder do she had to pee every five seconds.

Zoe was also huge this time round. Her belly was bigger than any of her other pregnancies. It me at people stared more.

Luckily since she had been living here for around four years she knew eveyone and was friends with most of them.

Zie pushed the double buggy down the path with Audrey and Belle close to her. She had always walked the cliff path but she had found when she was heavily pregnant it was a bit much for her.

All of a sudden Zoe caught sight of a group of people in the path in front of her. She cursed fluently under her breath but since she had a pram and two children beside her it was too late to turn back.

It was all of her old colleagues from the ED but more importantly it was someone she had been hoping never to see again. It was Max.

 **So this is a Zax friendship story but Zoe centered. It's not romance. I'm going to continue this but this is my third story that I have to write so bear with me if I only update like once a week. I love this story myself! Anyway please review since I'm continuing it xox**


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter. I'm writing this when I have no reviews so I have no idea of the response I'm going to get! Anyway I hope you like this because there not really a point writing it if you don't. Also I have no beta so all mistakes are my own! Anyway enjoy it. Review and tell me you're thoughts I absolutely love reviews and reading them seeing what you think! I also forgot to add the 30th anniversary hasn't happened and things are the same as tegy were before Zoe left ~Rita's there and Big Mac. Oh and I also just realised that Dixie went to live in Cornwall so should I add her in?**

 **disclaimer:** _Casualty is not mine not ever will be mine and I do not own the characters because Zoe would have had a lot of children and hopefully wouldn't have left. I do own James and the children! I also probably own anyone else you don't recognise!_

Zoe panicked as she walked towards them. She wished she could just walk oast them and say a cheery hello without stopping. But that was less likely than her climbing Mount Everest in her current state.

With trepidation she watched the looks on their faces as they took in her bump and the children. Most importantly was Bella. They were giving her looks of which knowing that she must be about four or five. I'm which time Zoe was in the ED or had just left the ED.

Zoe forced herself to keep walking until she was level with them. All they did was stare at her in shock.

Finally Rita broke the silence. "Hi."

"Hello" Zoe replied. The awkwardness was unbearable.

"Who are these girls" Louise queried getting straight to the point.

Zoe swallowed the lump in her throat. "They're my daughters." she replied hoping she sounded confident.

Robyns eyebrows were in danger of disappearing into her hairline "All of them yours."

They had obviously realised that Belle was about four or five. "Yeah" Zoe found herself saying "All mine."

Zoe could feel everyone's eyes on her. "So what are their names." Jacob asked intrigued.

"This is Belle this is Audrey this is Brooklyn and this is Seren." Zoe gestured to them each in turn.

"And how old are they?" Wells she wasn't nosey much?

Zoe looked around for an escape route but when she failed to find one she had to face them "Belles five, Audrey's four, Brooklyns almost three and Serens fifteen months."

Ignoring all the others shocked faces Rita looked down at her stomach "How far along are you."

"Thirty eight weeks" Zoe proclaimed.

Pulling her phone out of the baby bag Zoe checked the screen and realised she had to get the girls home.

"I have to go now" Zoe told them bluntly. Leaving them behind her she began to walk briskly down the path and Audrey began to whine that her feet were hurting. Zoe was forced to slow down when the baby in her stomach began protesting violently by hammering its feet against her womb.

She could almost feel their stares as she walked off. They had made the connection. They had figured out that Belle was Max's baby.

No one knew about her fertility issues except Max. She knew she would have to fully explain later.

But for now she had to get up to James clinic. She had promise to bring his girls to see him after she had gone a walk.

She bundled the girls into the Audi Q7. It was a new car -a seven seater. It suited her lifestyle - with four girls and a huge belly it windy exactly easy to manage her life.

When they arrived at the clinic James was just finishing his morning session. Zoe's heart sank. Max was only just coming out of the treatment room. His upper arm was bandaged and he was accompanied by Robyn and Louise.

Luckily Zoe was able to hand over Seren to Marilyn who worked on reception before going outside to get the other three. By the time she had got Belle, Audrey and Brooke out if the car Max and his sidekicks were no where to be seen.

James who was holding Seren came out to greet her with a kiss. The girls threw themselves on their parents hugging their legs.

James gently pulled the girls off him. "Zoe?"

Zoe looked up from hugging Brooke to look at him "Yeah?"

"You know that bloke that I was stitching up just now?"

Zoe felt a sense of dread begin to grow in her stomach "Mmmm"

James ploughed on obviously wanting to tell her something. "I've invited him and his friends round for a few drinks tonight."

Zoe snapped her head up and checked that Belle was far enough away before she hissed "James you idiot that's Belles father."

James looked pensive. "Zoe maybe it's time for Belle to meet her real dad."

Zoe was torn. She knew how much it would mean to Max if he had the chance to meet his daughter but life was so good. She didn't want to ruin things for Belle.

She sighed "We'll see how it goes tonight."

James nodded. Then he smiled. "How's bump today?"

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Kicking."


End file.
